I’m going to sneak up on him at his job at the bookstore. Try to act nonchalant!

An old sketch I drew of Kevin when he was a younger teen. He’s older now, almost 21.

Bringing a notebook with me for a prop, I search the bookstore for a tall, blond head of hair. There he is, heading into the biography section. When I creep around the corner into the aisle, I find him shelving things on the bottom shelf.

Kevin’s a lean, athletic guy, wearing cargo shorts and a chocolate brown tee-shirt, and light gleams off a chunky, silver purity ring on his left thumb. As I enter, he looks up with a friendly smile. “Can I help you find something?”

I shake off my star-struck mindset – character-struck? – and bumble into my rehearsed lines. “Um, actually, I wondered if I could ask you a few questions. I’m doing a…survey.”

“What kind of questions?” He gets up.

“Uh, personal questions?”

Kevin’s forehead furrows in suspicion. “Why? What about?”

“Just general questions about your life.” Great, I should have known he’d be cautious. I smile reassuringly. “You don’t have to answer any you don’t want to. It’s kind of a social project.”

He leans against the biography shelf with his arms folded, skeptical. “Okay, shoot.”

Here we go.

“Who is the person who has made the biggest impression on your life, and why?”

Resistance crosses his face, just for a moment, before a small smile takes over. “That’s easy – my dad. He and my mom died when we were kids….well, we don’t know for sure they died, but they disappeared suddenly one day without a trace, and we know they’d never abandon us.” Kevin looks at me as if expecting questions, but I listen quietly, so he goes on. “My dad said lots of things that stick with me, even after all these years. I go to make a decision sometimes and check my memory of what Dad might say if he was there to advise me. It’s almost like he knew he was going to be gone, and had to prepare me by giving me all the advice ahead of time. It’s weird, but I’m glad he did.”

“What’s the most important thing he taught you, do you think?”

“To protect my sister. I’m all she has left, now, and she had it rough in school, so I’m glad my dad taught me to stand up for her. I don’t know what would have happened to her if I hadn’t been there to keep the bullies away. She’s graduated now and doesn’t have to deal with that crap anymore.” There’s a fierce glint in his eye even at the mention of it.

I’m pretending to take notes. “Do you have any hobbies?”

“Reading,” he says right away, and then hesitates. “And deciphering an old logbook my parents left. It’s full of codes, and I’ve been trying to figure out what it means for years. My aunt and sister don’t think it’s important, but I know it’s important.”

“That’s cool. Who’s your best friend?”

“My sister, for sure.” As soon as the words leave his mouth, I see pain in his eyes. “But we’re not as close as we used to be. I can’t share my whole life with her anymore. I’ve been getting a lot closer to other friends instead.”

“Friends from college?” I ask innocently.

“No.” His mouth is set – he’s not giving me any more info on that one.

Good for you, not finding a lie to fill that gap, I praise him inwardly.

“Why did you take this specific job?”

He rolls his eyes a little, good-naturedly. “I guess because I’m a poor college student who needs the cash. But I like working with books all day, and they give me a discount, so I can buy more books for myself.” He grins.

“Is this your first job?”

“No, my second.”

I see he’s not willing to admit to being fired that other time for being controlling and doing things his way instead of following directions…

“But I’m sure you don’t want to stay here forever,” I say. “What are your goals in life? If everything you hoped for came true, what would that look like?”

I see him wrestle with this for a minute, running over all his goals in his mind with a thoughtful frown. “Well,” he says at last, “ultimate happiness to me would mean heaven – seeing my parents again and being with the Lord forever, and no one ever being unhappy or afraid again. But you probably mean my earthly goals. Hmm. If all my earthly hopes came true, I’d eventually be a high school English or literature professor, living in my parents’ old house with a wife and a bunch of kids, and hopefully my sister too.”

“Your sister wouldn’t be married, too, by then?”

“I’m just talking about my idea of happiness here. I know she wants to get married. But whoever wants to marry her is going to have to go through me first.” He says it with a good-natured twinkle in his eye. “I’m not her dad, but I feel responsible.”

“You say you want to get married. What are you looking for in a wife?”

He’s visibly taken aback, like he’d never considered that before. “I don’t know. I’m not actually looking. I know I want her to love the Lord, but at this point I’m not interested in hunting for a wife. I feel like if God has a woman for me out there, I’ll know her when I see her, or at least when the time is right, I’ll know who she is. My sister can be a matchmaker and she’s always pointing out girls from church to me, but I’m not interested in any of them.”

“Why not?”

“I dunno. They don’t stand out to me. Most of them are too shy. There’s nothing about them on the exterior that makes me want to get to know them more, and I don’t want to have to work to figure out a girl’s personality. I’d rather she be more of an open book, not a complete mystery – otherwise how will I know I even like her?” He frowns at me. “Are these questions you’re supposed to ask? What is this for, anyway?”

I open my mouth, but before I can think up a reply, a sharp, attentive suddenly look comes onto Kevin’s face and he glances down, as if he’s listening to something.

“Sorry, I’ve got to go,” he says.

“Where are you going?”

He gives me a look that clearly reads, That’s none of your business. “I’ve gotta go take care of something.” He strides down the aisle and around the corner, headed toward the back of the store.

He doesn’t have to tell me. I know where he’s going. He got a call to battle – he’s going in to Kraesinia.

*

I’ll stick around and ask him any questions you have after he gets back!…if he gets back at all. (Haha, just kidding. I’m his author and I have no plans of killing characters today.)

Maybe I’ll tell him I’m Trusted so I can ask him your questions regarding Kraesinia, too. 😉 Ah, a covert Kraesinion survey of the Trusted! That should have been my cover story to begin with! And boy, I never intended to delve into his idea of romance so much. It just kind of came out…I guess I’ve never asked him about that before. Very interesting.

10 Comments

I’m TOTALLY thinking Kevin now imagines you’re interested in him.
Kevin! What did you think of your surveyor? Is she cute? (That’s totally my first question. You can’t avoid it.)
Next, Do you think Catherine’s interested in anyone? Do you think she wishes you gave her a little bit more space, and that’s why you’re not as close?
What’s your favorite book?
and, lastly, what’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done?

Bethany speaking: HAHAHA, it did not even once occur to me that my character would think I was hitting on him. HA. I’m like…his mom! That’s mega-awkward! 😛 But I’ll let Kevin answer your questions…

Kevin! What did you think of your surveyor? Is she cute? (That’s totally my first question. You can’t avoid it.)

Kevin: “Uhhhh, that’s a really awkward question. Honestly, that didn’t really cross my mind. She IS wearing a wedding ring, which I noticed. I’m not that unobservant.” *grins at you*

Next, Do you think Catherine’s interested in anyone? Do you think she wishes you gave her a little bit more space, and that’s why you’re not as close?

Kevin: “No, the closeness is entirely due to life changes. I give her more space now than she’s ever had, so I don’t think that has anything to do with it. She’s never told me if she likes anyone…I don’t want to tease her, so I don’t ask, but I haven’t noticed her showing anyone special attention, either.”

What’s your favorite book?

Kevin: C.S. Lewis’s “Perelandra.”

Lastly, what’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done?

Kevin: “Oh boy. I don’t know. I’ve been in embarrassing situations, but not…well, I guess the most embarrassing thing I’ve done to myself is being too over-confident, only to find out I’m completely wrong. That stinks.”

Haha, as I said to RJ, that never even crossed my mind because, as his inventor, I feel I’m like his mom! 😀 I guess that’s what comes of going into the story for the interview (so to speak) instead of taking the character out like most people do for these things. I’m glad you loved it!

Very cute! It did make me think about interviewing my characters and the first one that came to mind is a grizzled warrior who is near and dear to my heart…which would lead to a lot of editing since he is really rough around the edges. Maybe it would be better to interview his wife…or one of my new characters from my new FairyTale. That would be fun. Don’t be surprised if you see me doe something like this. 🙂 Thanks for the inspiration.